<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Chilled by Cougwar</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25977421">Chilled</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cougwar/pseuds/Cougwar'>Cougwar</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Henry Stickmin Series (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Could be read as Henry/Charles if you wish :), Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia, Missions Gone Wrong, Near Death Experiences, No Smut, Rescue</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 10:55:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,034</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25977421</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cougwar/pseuds/Cougwar</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A mission goes wrong and Charles is cold, Henry tries his best.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Charles Calvin &amp; Henry Stickmin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>243</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Chilled</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>You could maybe see some Henry/Charles in here, or just Henry and Charles being bros :) You do you.</p><p>It's pretty short and fast-paced, but I'm happy with it. Hopefully, you are too!</p><p> </p><p>[NOTE] - Apparently the wiki had Charles's age wrong (he is 28, not 22 as it said when I wrote this), and thusly I had it wrong as well, but I've decided to keep him younger in this fic. I am sorry if that annoys you 💕</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The mission had started routinely enough. General Galeforce had assigned Henry to sneak into the ranks of a growing Toppat copycat group, and had directed Charles to be his transportation and instructed him to be on standby in case Henry needed an immediate evac in the case of something going wrong during the mission. Nothing glamorous, nothing too exciting or difficult, the mission was just one of the many average and mundane missions that the pair had been assigned over the years between their larger operations. <br/>
 <br/>
But they had never even made it to their destination. <br/>
 <br/>
The two had been circling the mountain where Henry was to be dropped off, discussing whether or not the unexpected snowstorm that had begun would justify a delay in the mission until it was clear. They had been circling above the drop point, which was around a dozen miles away from the base of operations of the group Henry was supposed to infiltrate, when the helicopter had been shot out of the sky, one of its blades snapping in half as bullets ripped through it, sending the helicopter spiraling down towards the side of the mountain.<br/>
 <br/>
Henry and Charles had survived the resulting crash, obviously, but they hadn't escaped without their fair share of bumps and scrapes. But the helicopter, Charles beloved helicopter, hadn't fared as well as its passengers had. It had torn apart as it tore a ditch into the ground, mowing down trees and shrubbery alike. And to make matters worse, it was now ablaze, the fuel tank having been set alight by a stray spark as it had skidded across the ground.<br/>
 <br/>
And that led to where they were now, the pair crouched in the ankle-high snow, huddled behind a tree to escape the biting winds as the smoke from the remains of the helicopter swirled up into the skies above their heads.</p><p>"Henry?"</p><p>The man in question turned as his name was mentioned, silently tilting his head at the pilot beside him as he continued to take stock of the battered medkit that he was knelt beside.<br/>
 <br/>
"I know we don't have many supplies and we need to move before anyone else arrives, but-" Charles pulled at the short sleeves of the thin dress-shirt that he had been wearing. "I'm cold. I can't feel my fingers anymore."<br/>
 <br/>
Taking a moment to glance away from the medkit, Henry did notice that Charles's shaking fingers were pale, and looked to be close to entering the first stages of frostbite. Which wasn't good.<br/>
 <br/>
"Where's your jacket?" Henry spoke, his voice soft and rough due to his little use of it.<br/>
 <br/>
"Oh," Charles blinked, obviously surprised that Henry had spoken. The pilot could probably count the times that Henry had spoken to him on one hand. Henry speaking clearly meant that this situation truly was a bad one. "I wasn't wearing it, it was hung on my seat in the helicopter. I didn't see it after the crash and I didn't have time to look. And now it's probably ash." Charles sighed, clenching and unclenching his hands to get his blood circulating, before tucking them into his armpits to try and warm them up. "All I grabbed was my headset, and this weather is making it impossible to contact base. So I'm pretty much useless right now."<br/>
 <br/>
"Keep them on, your headset." Henry softly spoke as he tucked the paper he had been examining into the medkit and closed it, swinging its strap over his head. "They're better than nothing for keeping your ears warm. And if the weather lets up you might be able to get another message through."<br/>
 <br/>
"But what about you?" Charles stammered out, his teeth clacking against each other as he trembled in the cold.<br/>
 <br/>
"I'll be okay." Henry smiled at Charles. "I always am."<br/>
 <br/>
Charles wasn't too sure about that, but he didn't have any arguments that he could use against it.<br/>
 <br/>
"So, what now?" Charles worked on pulling his arms into his sleeves, tucking them under his shirt and wrapping them around his chest, shivering for a moment as the wind-chilled skin touched his chest. "We'll need to wait it out until help arrives. I did manage to send a mayday to base when we got shot down, but who knows when they'll arrive - especially with this weather."<br/>
 <br/>
"We need to move anyways, this place isn't good enough for keeping us out of the cold. And the crash will definitely let those who shot us down know where we are" Henry pushed off of his knees as he stood, before leaning down to extend a hand to Charles. "According to the map Galeforce gave us, there's a cave only a few minutes down the mountainside. We can shelter there and wait for our backup."<br/>
 <br/>
Charles reached up and grasped Henry's hand, using his friend to heave himself to his feet, unsteadily wavering in the strong wind before Henry steadied him.<br/>
 <br/>
"Let's hurry." Henry nervously glanced at Charles, obviously worried for his friend, before turning and striding off down the mountainside, Charles carefully following in his footsteps, arms tightening around his chest as the howling wind bit at his exposed skin.<br/>
 <br/>
It was frigid. </p><p><br/>
After what felt like hours, but was probably only five or so minutes, Charles could tell that the cold was taking its toll on him.<br/>
 <br/>
But they were almost there, Henry had said it shouldn't be more than a ten-minute walk.<br/>
 <br/>
They had to almost be there.<br/>
 <br/>
The young pilot had never been particularly graceful or elegant, but he was stumbling a lot more than usual. His limbs were shaking, and he found it growing harder and harder to lift his foot to take another step as each second passed. Every inhaled breath was torture, and his chest burned.<br/>
 <br/>
Henry, steadily keeping his pace a few feet ahead of him, was doing fine, which Charles couldn't understand. Charles was miserable, but his friend seemed to be doing alright. <br/>
 <br/>
Charles took another stumbling step, before forcing himself to do it again, again, and agai-<br/>
 <br/>
Distracted by his thoughts, Charles's foot caught the edge of an exposed tree root, sending him flying into the snow, the helicopter pilot sprawling out as he landed facedown in the foot-high blanket of snow.<br/>
 <br/>
Charles stilled, weariness suddenly clouding his mind, weighing down his limbs as he laid motionless in the snow, cold flakes swirling down from the sky to settle atop of him. He let his head sink, resting his forehead against the cold, hard ground.<br/>
 <br/>
He lay there, sprawled out amongst the blanket of snow, his lungs too exhausted to call out to Henry's retreating form.<br/>
 <br/>
Charles knew he should get up.<br/>
 <br/>
Charles knew that he would die, he would freeze to death if he didn't get up.<br/>
 <br/>
Henry would be all alone if Charles didn't get up.<br/>
 <br/>
But... Charles was just so <em>tired</em>.<br/>
 <br/>
It wouldn't matter if he took a quick nap, right? It couldn't hurt...<br/>
 <br/>
It would only be for a minute, then Charles would get up. He promised.<br/>
 <br/>
Charles let out a sigh and let his limbs go limp, his eyelids sliding shut as the noises of the outside world faded around him.<br/>
 <br/>
He was so tired...</p><p> <br/>
"<em>Charles! </em>"<br/>
 <br/>
Suddenly the world tilted around Charles, his eyes sliding back open as he was rolled onto his back, staring up at the sky that was visible over Henry's shoulder. It was beautiful, soft fluffy clouds dotted the light blue sky, although the smoke that had drifted up from the helicopter dampened the beauty. <br/>
 <br/>
Would that be the last thing Charles saw?<br/>
 <br/>
"Charles!" <br/>
 <br/>
Charles blinked as Henry lightly slapped his cheek, the man leaning over Charles with a concerned look on his face. The level of panic that had crept into his raspy voice surprised Charles, Henry had always thrived under pressure and tended to dance with death on the majority of the missions he went on. If Henry was worried… that wasn’t good.<br/>
 <br/>
"Henry...?" Charles tried to sit up, only to be kept down by Henry's hand on his chest. "Henry, I fell. I'm cold." The pilot's voice was soft, almost childish. If he had been completely aware, Charles might have been embarrassed about that.<br/>
 <br/>
"I know." Henry softly cursed, sliding off his coat and pulling Charles up from the ground, tucking his arms - which flopped around like noodles, Charles giggled that that - into the sleeves before zipping it up, pulling the hood up and over his head and headset. "I'm sorry, I should have given my coat to you from the beginning. God, this whole mission has gone to shit."<br/>
 <br/>
"Henry... I'm still cold." Charles's lips were blue, standing out against his pale skin. His eyelashes were coated with snowflakes, and his limbs were trembling.<br/>
 <br/>
"I know." Henry sighed. "I know, buddy."<br/>
 <br/>
Henry knew Charles wouldn't have long if he didn't get him out of the worst of the cold soon.<br/>
 <br/>
Making his decision, Henry bent down and gently scooped him up, placing an arm under his knee and one beneath his back, letting Charles's hands fall into his lap. As Henry straightened up and adjusted the bridal carry he had Charles in, the chilled pilot - who was still not entirely aware - twisted and pressed his face against Henry's neck - the man barely avoiding flinching away as his ice-cold features pressed against his skin.<br/>
 <br/>
Charles mumbled as he pressed his face against Henry's neck, directing his eyes away from the bobbing landscape as Henry began to continue his path down the mountainside.<br/>
 <br/>
"What was that?"<br/>
 <br/>
"Bridal carry..." Charles chuckled, his head knocking against Henry's chest, but Henry pinned it on him provably being delusional due to the cold and the concussion the crash probably gave him. "Almost like we're married."<br/>
 <br/>
Henry's eyebrows rose, but he did not comment on the confused ramblings of the man he held in his arms.<br/>
 <br/>
He had to focus on saving his friend.<br/>
 <br/>
The two of them would be getting out of here alive.<br/>
 <br/>
As Henry made his way down the mountain, taking careful step after step to avoid falling in the snow, he was aware of how light the man in his arms was.<br/>
 <br/>
Charles was young, younger than Henry.<br/>
 <br/>
He was only twenty-two, only a few years out from being in high school.<br/>
 <br/>
He was too young, too young to be in a situation like this.<br/>
 <br/>
Before Henry could spend much more time dwelling on his concern for his friend, he spotted the cave that the map had mentioned up ahead.<br/>
 <br/>
His strength given new life with the hope that spotting the cave gave him, Henry quickened his pace and strode towards the cave, tucking Charles against his chest as he did so.<br/>
 <br/>
Charles hadn't made any noise in the past few minutes, his eyes having slipped shut at some point. Henry was growing concerned.<br/>
 <br/>
Entering the dark cave, Henry settled Charles against the side a few feet in, making sure he was wrapped up tight in his jacket before scouting the rest of the cave to make sure there were no other people or animals they were sharing it with. The cave was small, barely tall enough for Henry to stand up straight in and only long enough for about two people to lie down.<br/>
 <br/>
But it was enough.<br/>
 <br/>
Returning to Charles, Henry swung the medkit over his head and settled it on the ground beside Charles.<br/>
 <br/>
Henry unzipped the kit and rummaged through it, looking for anything that could help in the current situation. <br/>
 <br/>
As he reached the last item that had fallen to the bottom of the bag, Henry felt like he might cry from relief.<br/>
 <br/>
At the bottom of the bag, was a matchstick box.</p><p> Henry could start a <em>fire</em>.</p><p>After quickly opening the box, and softly cursing at the sight of a single lone match, the only one left in the box, Henry tucked the matchstick box safely back into the bag and placed the medkit beside Charles - who was currently still, his eyes closed and the puffs of air emitting from his nostrils barely visible. </p><p>Henry had to hurry.</p><p>He needed wood for the fire, and that meant leaving the cave.</p><p>With a final glance to Charles, Henry steeled himself and stepped back out into the howling winds, raising a hand to shield his eyes against the swirling faces as he trudged through the snow, heading for a cluster of trees that were across the clearing from the cave, hoping that he would be able to find some suitable sticks for kindling.</p><p>For a brief moment, as the cold winds buffeted his bare arms and his limbs trembled as he tucked them around his chest, Henry wished he had his jacket. But then he took that thought and threw it away, ashamed that he would think that when Charles, wrapped up in Henry's jacket back in the cave, could be dying. Henry would be fine, especially when he got the fire started up.</p><p>Speaking of, Henry grinned as he crouched by a tree, finding a fallen branch that was thick enough for firewood, which he quickly snapped into a more manageable size by placing his boot firmly on the middle and pulling up the edge, the wood cracking and splintering as it broke. Beside the broken bits of the branch, which Henry placed on the ground to free up his hands until he had to return to the cave, was a bush with thick enough stems, the wooden stems having been mostly kept out of the snow by the shelter of the tree. As he snapped off the stems, he tucked them under his arm, until he could hold no more. He had gathered enough to start a fire, so he readjusted his grip on the bunch of sticks to make sure he wouldn't drop any, added the larger bits from the broken branch to the bunch, and began to make his way through the snow back to the cave - and Charles. </p><p><br/>
As he entered the cave, Charles - who was now awake - turned to look up at him, the young pilot looking almost childish as he had tucked himself into Henry's jacket, his hands pulled up into the sleeves and the collar pulled up to his ears, his nose barely poking out as he blinked at Henry.</p><p>"H-H-Henry?" Charles stammered, moving to sit up against the cave wall as Henry approached. "I didn't know where you were, I thought..."</p><p>"I was just fetching wood," Henry motioned to the sticks that were tucked beneath his arm. "for a fire. There's a matchstick in the med-kit, so we should be able to get you warmed up in a second" Henry settled the bunch of sticks on the ground, crouching beside them and pulling the med-kit over to him with a sigh. "It's a shame we don't have any paper, it would be a lot easier to get it started."</p><p>"I-I-I," Charles, his lips pale and his fingers trembling as he extended them from Henry's jacket's sleeve to reach into his pocket, stammered. "I have paper." Charles pulled a small booklet from his pocket and extended his shaking hand so Henry could take it.</p><p>Henry reached over to take it, and after a moment he chuckled, glancing back up to raise an eyebrow at his pilot. "Your carry around your helicopter manual? Really?"</p><p>"W-what?!" Charles tossed up his hands, glaring good-naturedly. "I love my helicopter!" After a moment, Charles shrugged. "Or, loved. I suppose. Maybe this crash will finally convince General Galeforce to let me get fly new prototype all the pilots have been raving about."</p><p>"Maybe," Henry coughed, his voice raspy and rough, his throat sore. He wasn't used to using his voice as much as he had today. "but let's focus on getting you warm." With that, Henry tore a few pages from the book, before crumpling them up and placing them in the middle of a circle of rocks he had gathered from the cave floor. After a few minutes of carefully arranging the kindling and firewood, Henry grabbed the matchstick box from the med-kit. Opening the pack, Henry grabbed the single match it held. He has one chance to get this right. Quickly dragging the match against the side of the box, Henry watched a flame grow on the top of the match and quickly moved it to set the crumpled papers that lay beneath the wood in the makeshift firepit alight.</p><p>After a few moments of nervously watching the wood with bated breath, Henry let out a sigh of relief as flames grew around the wood, dancing up into the air and glowing brightly.</p><p>"Come on buddy," Henry went over to Charles and placed his hands under his arms, picking him up from his leaning position against the cave wall and moving his closer to where the fire was, a few feet further back in the cave.</p><p>Not wanting to risk Charles rolling into the fire or moving close enough to have his clothes catch fire, Henry held Charles up and maneuvered behind him, wrapping an arm around his waist to hold him up with the pilots back against Henry's chest and his head tucked under Henry's chin as the man leaned against the cave wall, keeping a secure grip on Charles as he adjusted himself.</p><p>"Henry..?" Charles' hair brushed against Henry's jaw as the pilot spoke, their shadows dancing across the far cave wall as the fire glowed brightly beside them. "I'm sorry, it's my fault that we ended up here..."</p><p>"Save your strength," Henry reached forward to pat Charles's hand - or where he thought was his hand, as the man still had his hands tucked up into the jacket's sleeves. "and it wasn't your fault. I don't think there's any helicopter pilot out there that can fly with a missing blade."<br/>
 </p><p>After a few minutes of silently watching the fire, Henry had to shake his head to prevent his eyelids from sliding shut, realizing that his grip on Charles had grown lax as he had begun to fall asleep.</p><p>They might have been out of the cold, but the effects of the crash were beginning to show up. Henry was pretty sure he had gained a concussion from when he had slammed head-first into the control panel, and he wouldn't be surprised if Charles had one as well. The two were also covered with scrapes and bruises from the crash and the following scramble out of the smoking helicopter.</p><p>And the probable hypothermia wasn't doing them any favors.</p><p>"Do you think anyone is coming for us?" Charles's voice was soft, Henry almost missed it under the howling winds and the crackling of the fire,</p><p>For the first time since the crash, Henry felt doubt, but he pushed it aside to reassure Charles.</p><p>"I'm sure they are. Hell, you're like General Galeforce's favorite soldier. He wouldn't leave you here."</p><p>"...and you." Charles quietly murmured.</p><p>"Hmm?" Henry cast his eyes up to glance outside, wondering if somewhere out there was a helicopter, coming to rescue them.</p><p>"General Galeforce likes you too." Charles reacher up and grabbed onto Henry's free hand, the one that wasn't wrapped around the pilot's waist, intertwining their fingers as Charles twisted to smile up at Henry. "We're together in this, and we're going to get out of here together."</p><p>"Of course." Henry nodded, "You know, I thin-"</p><p>Henry was cut off as a blast of wind swirled into the cave, covering the two with a few flakes and after a moment, blowing out the fire that had been steadily warming them up for the last few minutes.</p><p>"No, no," Henry quickly picked up a rock and poked the fire, but it was too late. The fire was gone. "Damn it!"</p><p>"We don't have any more matches..." Charles muttered from in front of Henry.</p><p>The fire had only been gone for a few moments, but Henry was already shivering in his thin shirt.</p><p><br/>
After a few minutes of silently sitting together, the cold steadily tightening its grasp on them, Charles weakly coughed, before tilting his head back to look up at Henry.</p><p>"If we don't make it out of here..." Charles tightened his grip upon Henry’s hand. “I’m glad you’re here with me.”</p><p>“If we don’t make it out,” Henry closed his eyes, sighing heavily as he thought of the less-than-stellar outcomes that could befall them. “I’m glad to be your friend. I’m glad to have met you all those years ago.”</p><p>“Heh,” Charles weakly chuckled, a soft smile crossing his pale face. “who would’ve thought that we’d end up here, considering how we met.”</p><p>“Well, it’s a good thing we did.” Henry sighed. “You really turned my life around.”</p><p>"Yeah... and you changed mine." Charles let his head fall back against Henry's chest. "I'm so glad I'm not alone..."</p><p>With that, Charles let out a sigh, and his grip on Henry's hand loosened, his fingers uncurling and almost falling to the cave floor before Henry tightened his grip on the pilot's hand.</p><p>"...<em>Charles</em>?" Henry hesitantly whispered, panic beginning to grip his heart.</p><p><br/>
Silence.</p><p><br/>
Charles lay against Henry's chest, motionless.</p><p>Henry's heart dropped.</p><p>“Charles, wake up,” Henry moved to gently slap the man's cheek, but paused as he heard something in the distance, something other than the noises that had surrounded them for the time they had spent in the cave. The distant sound of something familiar…</p><p><br/>
<em>A helicopter!</em>
</p><p><br/>
But, where they the enemy or allies?<br/>
 <br/>
“Shit! Charles…?!” Henry turned back to the problem at hand and shook the man in his arms in an attempt to wake him up, but the only response was the pilot’s head limply rolling, his headset knocking against Henry’s collarbone. “Charles, buddy. Don’t fall asleep.” Henry reached up and lightly slapped Charles’s cheek, relief flooding his mind as Charles groaned and sluggishly blinked his eyes open. "Charles, stay awake! Someone's here, a helicopter! It could be the rescue team. Just hang on for a little bit longer, <em>please</em>."<br/>
 <br/>
“Henry…?” Charles' voice was weak, his eyes rolling in his head, meeting Henry's concerned gaze for a moment, before his eyelids slipped shut once more, his jaw going lax as he slumped weakly back against Henry's chest.</p><p>"No," As Henry glanced up to look out into the swirling snow that was visible just outside the cave entrance, he heard the ever-growing sounds of boots pounding against the snow, loudly crunching through the crisp sheets of icy snow as they approached the cave. "Charles, <em>no</em>."</p><p>As the people approached the entrance of the cave, Henry tensed, unknowing if the approaching people were friend or foe, wrapping his arm tighter around Charles’ chest as he rested a hand on a rock from the cave floor beside him.</p><p>He wouldn’t let Charles go without a fight.</p><p>But his own eyes were becoming unbearably heavy, and Henry didn’t think he could even stand without falling if his life depended on it.  He didn't want to die here, he had hoped that their fellow soldiers would find a way to get them off of this frozen mountain, but Henry knew that time was rapidly running out. And he didn’t know how much longer he could hold on.</p><p><br/>
"Let's check this cave! They would know to seek shelter, and this is the closest spot indicated on the map to the crash site!" Henry’s eyes shot open, relief flooding him as he recognized the voice from outside the cave, it was one of the soldiers that he had worked alongside previous missions, a skilled field medic that was fairly friendly to Charles and Henry.<br/>
 <br/>
“...they’re here,” Henry whispered as he relaxed, the man giving in to the bone-deep weariness that had been pulling at him for the past few minutes, his eyes slowly slipping shut as his grip across Charles' chest loosened, the pair slumping to sprawl across the cave floor as their rescuers approached. </p><p>Henry could rest now, they would be making it out of here.</p><p>Their fingers were still intertwined, their hands clasped together as they lay unconscious on the cave floor, unwilling to let go even at the end.</p><p>They were rescued, they were going to make it out of here.</p><p><em>Together.</em><br/>
 </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm sorry y'all, I swear was gonna write some nice fluff but it can never be fluff when I'm the one writing.</p><p>Me: omg I could write Henry and Charles holding hands, that would be so cute ♡♡</p><p>Also me: okay but what if it was because they were freezing to death lol wouldn't that be cool</p><p>Please leave a comment if you enjoyed &lt;3 I love seeing y'alls thoughts!</p><p> <a href="https://explorersnotepad.tumblr.com/">My Tumblr</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>